Thursday, October 14, 2010

Twenty Eight Handed Goddess Durga Of Bishnupur--Guwahati 2010



In the North East part of India Sharadiya Navaratri is celebrated as Durga -Puja.The dates of Durga Puja celebrations are set according to the traditional Hindu Calendar in the month of Ashwin which is the beginning of the winters.It falls in the months of Sep -Oct.As Durga Puja represents celebration of the Goddess as Shakti ,all her nine different forms are worshiped during these nine days.With its religious significance this festival has turned into a huge socio cultural event here.People participate in this celebration irrespective of their religion,backgrounds and beliefs.Beautiful pandals are build in different areas of the city(pandals are temporary structure made with bamboo and cloth ,these pandals are used as temporary temple to worship the goddess).While some of the pandals are simple structures, others are often elaborate works of art with themes that are based on history, current affairs and sometimes pure imagination.Pujas are mainly financed by the local people and communities and as it is in trend many corporate houses too sponsor this event.

Right now my city Guwahati is celebrating puja like never before .There are elaborate puja pandals and glittering lights all around.To avoid the traffic jams and overcrowd me and my family  chose to visit pandals in  morning hours only .Today is Mahasaptami (7th day of navratri),we started our round by visiting this puja pandal which has made a 30ft high idol of Ma Durga.Bishnupur Durga Puja Committee is celebrating its Diamond Jubilee this year.Making of the idols started right here at the same spot since the month of May this year.A huge crowd is flocking the pandal to have a look at this amazing idol .... at least i have never seen such a huge and beautiful idol of Goddess Durga ever before.

In this pandal Goddess Durga is shown in Mayatara form.She has got 28 hands here.After killing and destroying all the demons and evil forces when Ma Durga was still very angry ,28 sadhakas (devotees) approached her for eternal calm ,peace and prosperity.Ma Durga then rose with 28 hands to fulfill the wishes of the sadhakas with 28 lotuses in her hand.We asked the volunteers there that how are they going to immerse the idol on the day of Dashami(tenth day of the festival)....they said that fire brigade will help them here by splashing water on the idols using several trucks at the same time.Very clever !The committee also displayed Navdurga i.e.nine forms of the Goddess Durga 
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               Navadurga : nine forms of Goddess Durga

.Shailputri :she is the daughter of the mountain Himalaya
.Bhramhacharini : that who observes penance and good conduct.
.Chandraghanta :There is a half circular moon on the forehead of this form of Durga.
Kusumnanda :this form creates universe by mere laughing.She resides in solar system.
Katyayani :she took birth as the daughter of one rishi named Katyan who had observed penance with a desire to get Ma Durga as a daughter.

.Skandamata :After getting married to Lord Shiva ,the daughter of Himalaya had a son named Skanda-hence Skandamata.
Kaalratri: she is black like night.
Mahagauri and Siddhidhatri : Mahagauri is as fair as conch ,Moon or jasmine.There are eight siddhis :this form is worshiped by yogis and also devotees to attain best religious fruits.
There are more posts to come... i will try to post the pictures of a pandal whose theme is Titanic.
  I WISH ALL MY FRIENDS A VERY HAPPY DURGA PUJA - i wish for you blessings of joy,prosperity and good fortune .

37 comments:

  1. A very happy Durga Puja to you and your family, Kavita!! Thanks for bringing the fervor and zeal of this festival to us.
    Have seen Ganesh Utsav Pandals in Mumbai with varied themes but never seen a Durga Puja Pandal. Titanic...you must show it to us!!
    Cheers :)

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  2. Have wonderful times.And remember your friends in prayers.

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  3. Excellent Post ..and we saw the 28 hand Maa Durga yesterday on news here and we were so delighted and now your lovely post ..love the nabo Durga protima also..
    Happy Durga Puja .
    hugs and smiles

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    1. Thanks Jaya,
      This year our theme is 48 ft shiva .... welcome you to make a visit to our pandal in guwahati..
      Wish you and your family all blessings of the almighty.
      Regards,
      Bishnupur SArbajanin Durga Puja Committee

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  4. excellent post kavita...i really enjoyed each n every bit of it ...thanks for sharing dear ...wish u n ur family a happy durga puja ..

    Satya
    http://www.superyummyrecipes.com

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  5. fascinating post, love the colors, pagentry and details. glad you were able to get rid of my post that was stuck on yours...lol!

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  6. Happy Durga Puja to you and your family!

    Those statues are very beautiful. How were they made? Were they made by pouring plaster or clay into a mold? Or were they carved?

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    1. Hi,
      All theses Idols ame made of mud and hay and 100% hand made. No moulded or carved idols.

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  7. It is fascinating to see that each state has their own beliefs and customs

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  8. Have great time with the Gods and Goddesses.
    And remember us in your prayers.

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  9. Thank you for the felt blessing, Kavita!

    To you and yours too-



    Namaste & Warm Aloha from Waikiki

    Comfort Spiral
    ><}}(°>

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  10. Happy festivities and as i mentioned to you earlier too FOOD time remember me :)

    beautiful pics.. happy durga pooja Hope all your wishes come true and goddess durga fulfills all that you wish for...


    Bikram's Blog

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  11. fun times!
    lovely pics and interesting info

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  12. ♥ Olá, amiga!
    Conheci seu espaço...♥♥
    Amei mesmo!...♥
    Esse festival é mesmo lindo, colorido e diferente de tudo que eu já vi.
    Beijinhos.
    ♥ Bom fim de semana!
    ♥♥ Itabira
    Brasil♥♥
    ✿Ü“Ü“✿Ü“✿Ü“

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  13. Beautiful, colourful post, Kavita and thank you!

    Every statue looks so artfully done with so much imagination by the artisans. Really, no other country can beat our cultural tradition!

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  14. great clicks..a very happy Durga pooja to you..I have been to mumbai Durga Puja pandal..and it's awesome..waiting for titanic theme pandals pics :)

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  15. This is a fascinating information. Wish you aappy Durga Puja!

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  16. woowwww..saw n heard of the 28 haanded goddess for the 1st time ...excellent post

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  17. Nice. Good to read from a fellow Guwahatian

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  18. Good morning, I left a message earlier, but when I said publish, it said the server was down, so I don't know if it went or not.

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  19. And a very happy Durga Puja to you also.

    I love this post as I'm always fascinated to learn of the celebrations/customs/festivals of different cultures and religions. Interesting and informative, I thank you for sharing this with us.

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  20. First of all, thanks for this, excellent post, which, like the rest and the other that I read, and transmits it faithfully reflects: the truth about your beautiful country to its culture, customs and traditions of the people ... Thank you for the nice wishes, I also to you, and I wish your family a very, very happy Durga Puja. and to look forward to new titles to your blog.

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  21. First of all, thanks for this truly excellent post, because, as, indeed, all that I read on your blog very faithfully reflect your beautiful country, its traditions, culture, customs men. And rich historical heritage. Thank you for the nice wishes, and You and Your family A very happy Durga Puja! ... and eagerly awaiting the new and new headlines to your blog. I wish you all the best

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  22. Happy Durga Puja :)

    Very nice pictures and description.

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  23. Blessings on to you, Kavita! What an awesome post. Those pandals are incredibly intricate and beautiful. I'm just so awed by the craftmanship. It is truly interesting to read and learn about other cultures. The Japanese also pour water over their religious statues. The water must represent purity and blessings.

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  24. I didn't know so much about Goddess Durga...lovely pics, wish you a very happy Durga Puja :)

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  25. I also wish you and your family a happy Durga Puja. It sounds like a very fine festival and thanks for the information on this day.

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  26. Beautiful images of Ma Durga. Wisj you happy Durga pooja.

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  27. beautiful pics of Ma Durga- we have her in our ancestral home & its very sad to immerse her, each year!

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  28. Happy Durga Puja (belated wishes!). And thanks for sharing the info and pictures. 'Titanic' must be some theme!

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  29. hi kavita thanks yar...btw..i used to vist this puja in dubai eveery year..unfortunately this time i could not make it..thanks to u i get a feel of the fest..and comign fm such a wondrful friend like u..me very happy..:)

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  30. Lovely images of the Goddess.

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  31. Beautiful beautiful post and lovely pics Kavita :)

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  32. And ya, Titanic theme sounds so new!

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  33. Hope you had a great time during navarathri with all those pandals:)

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